Growing Up at the Ranch - Fish Creek Historical Tour with Dennis Burns
2025-08-12 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-08-23 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-18 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Edmonton)
Ever wonder what it was like growing up on an Alberta ranch? Hear stories from Dennis Burns’ personal history of growing up at the Bow Valley Ranch from 1951 to 1971.

This tour will be a gentle meander through Bow Valley Ranch.

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Click to register on Eventbrite

Tour Duration: About 2 hours

Meeting Point: Bow Valley Ranch Visitor Centre

Maximum Group Size: 20 participants

Distance: 2km

Fish Creek Provincial Park is a vast cultural, historical and ecological resource. The Friends’ tour program offers tremendous opportunities for visitors to learn from experienced guides.

Growing Up at the Ranch - Fish Creek Historical Tour with Dennis Burns
2025-08-23 10:00 - 12:00
Ever wonder what it was like growing up on an Alberta ranch? Hear stories from Dennis Burns’ personal history of growing up at the Bow Valley Ranch from 1951 to 1971.

This tour will be a gentle meander through Bow Valley Ranch.

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Dates:

Tuesday, July 8

Saturday, July 26

Tuesday, August 12

Saturday, August 23

Register today! Embedded Eventbrite checkout below:

Tour Duration: About 2 hours

Meeting Point: Bow Valley Ranch Visitor Centre

Maximum Group Size: 20 participants

Distance: 2km

Fish Creek Provincial Park is a vast cultural, historical and ecological resource. The Friends’ tour program offers tremendous opportunities for visitors to learn from experienced guides.

Peace in the Park: Outdoor Yoga with Lauren McBain & The Friends of Fish Creek
2025-08-28 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-09-03 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-09-11 17:30 - 19:30
Join us for Peace in the Park, an evening of yoga, connection, and fresh air in Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary’s most beautiful green space. Guided by Lauren McBain, lululemon ambassador and community wellness leader, this class blends movement, mindfulness, and community vibes for an unforgettable outdoor experience. Click below to get your tickets today!

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✨ Dates: August 28, September 3 & 11
✨ Time: 5:30 – 7:30 pm (class from 6 – 7 pm)
✨ Location: Glennfield Day Use Area, Fish Creek Provincial Park

Fall Birding - Mondays (12-week course)
2025-09-01 09:00 - 12:00
Friends of Fish Creek Fall Birding Course – Sept 01 to Nov 23, 2025 (12 weeks)

Join the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society this Fall for our ever-popular Birding Course! We will visit different parks throughout the City of Calgary, as we try to capture a great view of birds that live here year-round or migrate through during the Fall months. Our exceptional team of skilled volunteer leaders will guide the way, helping to find and identify the many bird species we hope you will see, and sharing their wealth of knowledge with you!

This 12-week course runs every day of the week, except Fridays, with each session being approximately three hours.

The course is offered at a discounted rate to Friends of Fish Creek members:

– Members – $60/person

– Non-Members – $100/person

If you would like to renew your membership or become a member, please do so through our website before registering for this course. Our memberships are based on a calendar year.

When you register, you will be able to select your preferred day of the week; however, please note that there is a limited number of tickets available for each day. If there are no tickets available for your preferred day, please either register for an alternate day or join our waitlist by selecting the ticket option “My preferred day is sold out” (after which you’ll be given the opportunity to indicate your preferred day later in the registration process). If you are on the waitlist and we have a space for you, we will be in touch.

If you would like to sign up for an additional day each week, you can do so by registering for your preferred day and then also registering for the “Additional Day” ticket (i.e., you will purchase one regular ticket and one add-on). You will be able to indicate your preferred additional day later in the registration process.

You can register multiple people at once; however, please ensure you have their full names, email addresses, and emergency contact information readily available, as you will be required to enter this information as part of the registration process

We appreciate your interest and support. By taking part in this course, not only will you experience a unique opportunity to engage with nature and the outdoors, but you will also be supporting the Friends’ ongoing education and environmental stewardship initiatives in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

If the system isn’t working for you, send a note to birding@friendsoffichcreek.org

Photo: Wood Ducks – taken at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in November 2024 during a Fall Birding outing.

Fall Birding - Tuesdays (12-week course)
2025-09-02 09:00 - 12:00
Friends of Fish Creek Fall Birding Course – Sept 02 to Nov 23, 2025 (12 weeks)

Join the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society this Fall for our ever-popular Birding Course! We will visit different parks throughout the City of Calgary, as we try to capture a great view of birds that live here year-round or migrate through during the Fall months. Our exceptional team of skilled volunteer leaders will guide the way, helping to find and identify the many bird species we hope you will see, and sharing their wealth of knowledge with you!

This 12-week course runs every day of the week, except Fridays, with each session being approximately three hours.

The course is offered at a discounted rate to Friends of Fish Creek members:

– Members – $60/person

– Non-Members – $100/person

If you would like to renew your membership or become a member, please do so through our website before registering for this course. Our memberships are based on a calendar year.

When you register, you will be able to select your preferred day of the week; however, please note that there is a limited number of tickets available for each day. If there are no tickets available for your preferred day, please either register for an alternate day or join our waitlist by selecting the ticket option “My preferred day is sold out” (after which you’ll be given the opportunity to indicate your preferred day later in the registration process). If you are on the waitlist and we have a space for you, we will be in touch.

If you would like to sign up for an additional day each week, you can do so by registering for your preferred day and then also registering for the “Additional Day” ticket (i.e., you will purchase one regular ticket and one add-on). You will be able to indicate your preferred additional day later in the registration process.

You can register multiple people at once; however, please ensure you have their full names, email addresses, and emergency contact information readily available, as you will be required to enter this information as part of the registration process

We appreciate your interest and support. By taking part in this course, not only will you experience a unique opportunity to engage with nature and the outdoors, but you will also be supporting the Friends’ ongoing education and environmental stewardship initiatives in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

If the system isn’t working for you, send a note to birding@friendsoffichcreek.org

Photo: Wood Ducks – taken at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in November 2024 during a Fall Birding outing.

Fall Birding - Wednesdays (12-week course)
2025-09-03 09:00 - 12:00
Friends of Fish Creek Fall Birding Course – Sept 03 to Nov 23, 2025 (12 weeks)

Join the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society this Fall for our ever-popular Birding Course! We will visit different parks throughout the City of Calgary, as we try to capture a great view of birds that live here year-round or migrate through during the Fall months. Our exceptional team of skilled volunteer leaders will guide the way, helping to find and identify the many bird species we hope you will see, and sharing their wealth of knowledge with you!

This 12-week course runs every day of the week, except Fridays, with each session being approximately three hours.

The course is offered at a discounted rate to Friends of Fish Creek members:

– Members – $60/person

– Non-Members – $100/person

If you would like to renew your membership or become a member, please do so through our website before registering for this course. Our memberships are based on a calendar year.

When you register, you will be able to select your preferred day of the week; however, please note that there is a limited number of tickets available for each day. If there are no tickets available for your preferred day, please either register for an alternate day or join our waitlist by selecting the ticket option “My preferred day is sold out” (after which you’ll be given the opportunity to indicate your preferred day later in the registration process). If you are on the waitlist and we have a space for you, we will be in touch.

If you would like to sign up for an additional day each week, you can do so by registering for your preferred day and then also registering for the “Additional Day” ticket (i.e., you will purchase one regular ticket and one add-on). You will be able to indicate your preferred additional day later in the registration process.

You can register multiple people at once; however, please ensure you have their full names, email addresses, and emergency contact information readily available, as you will be required to enter this information as part of the registration process

We appreciate your interest and support. By taking part in this course, not only will you experience a unique opportunity to engage with nature and the outdoors, but you will also be supporting the Friends’ ongoing education and environmental stewardship initiatives in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

If the system isn’t working for you, send a note to birding@friendsoffichcreek.org

Photo: Wood Ducks – taken at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in November 2024 during a Fall Birding outing.

Good Grief - Fall 2025 (8-week program)
2025-09-03 18:00 - 19:30 | Bow Valley Ranch Fish Creek Provincial Park, 15979 Bow Bottom Tr. SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2J 5E8
Good Grief: Nature Walking Through Grief and Loss — Fall 2025
Thanks to a long-standing partnership with Mount Royal University Professor Sonya Jakubec, Good Grief: Nature Walking Through Grief and Loss will be offered in Fall 2025. This program is aimed at providing support to those experiencing grief, loss or major life transition.
This eight-week program simply provides an opportunity for participants to connect with nature while connecting with others who share similar experiences. Although not a grief therapy program, Good Grief may provide valuable connection and healing for both participants and volunteer companions. Companions are not providing counseling or therapy; they simply share a common goal of connecting with nature as a place of refuge in acceptance of our journeys of life transition.
Regardless of the transition you are experiencing – be it the loss of a loved one, job or relationship, a significant change in health or mobility, or other deep changes in your life – spending time in nature with people who are on a similar journey might be just the support you need.
We invite you to come walk with us.
Wednesdays from September 3 to October 22, 2025

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Registration required. Outings will run in a variety of weather conditions, but may be canceled if severe weather is in the forecast. Participants are encouraged to dress in layers.
Friends’ Member price: $20 for 8 weeks sessionNon-Member price: $30 for 8 weeks session
Register Here
To become a member, please click here.
Each outing will begin with a reading or a shared experience, followed by a walk on a fairly easy 1.5-2 km route. Each of the four routes will be repeated once during the eight-week program – a chance to reflect on the changes in the landscape and ourselves over time. Time, nature and low pressure companionship can be our best supports.
Space is limited to 15 people per session.Please note that we may cancel the session if registrations are less than 7 people.
If you would like to learn more about the Good Grief program or discuss the program goals and discoveries from previous Good Grief programs, please feel free to contact Sonya Jakubec, our partner at Mount Royal at sjakubec@mtroyal.ca. Inquiries regarding program accessibility can be directed to Rose Ratliffe, Friends of Fish Creek Volunteer Companion at ratliffe@shaw.ca.
Thank you to our Partners and Volunteers for keeping the Good Grief program going! Proceeds support the Friends of Fish Creek’s ongoing efforts to engage the public in responsible stewardship of Fish Creek Provincial Park.

Photo courtesy of Stan Kwasniowski.

Fall Birding - Thursdays (12-week course)
2025-09-04 09:00 - 12:00
Friends of Fish Creek Fall Birding Course – Sept 04 to Nov 23, 2025 (12 weeks)

Join the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society this Fall for our ever-popular Birding Course! We will visit different parks throughout the City of Calgary, as we try to capture a great view of birds that live here year-round or migrate through during the Fall months. Our exceptional team of skilled volunteer leaders will guide the way, helping to find and identify the many bird species we hope you will see, and sharing their wealth of knowledge with you!

This 12-week course runs every day of the week, except Fridays, with each session being approximately three hours.

The course is offered at a discounted rate to Friends of Fish Creek members:

– Members – $60/person

– Non-Members – $100/person

If you would like to renew your membership or become a member, please do so through our website before registering for this course. Our memberships are based on a calendar year.

When you register, you will be able to select your preferred day of the week; however, please note that there is a limited number of tickets available for each day. If there are no tickets available for your preferred day, please either register for an alternate day or join our waitlist by selecting the ticket option “My preferred day is sold out” (after which you’ll be given the opportunity to indicate your preferred day later in the registration process). If you are on the waitlist and we have a space for you, we will be in touch.

If you would like to sign up for an additional day each week, you can do so by registering for your preferred day and then also registering for the “Additional Day” ticket (i.e., you will purchase one regular ticket and one add-on). You will be able to indicate your preferred additional day later in the registration process.

You can register multiple people at once; however, please ensure you have their full names, email addresses, and emergency contact information readily available, as you will be required to enter this information as part of the registration process

We appreciate your interest and support. By taking part in this course, not only will you experience a unique opportunity to engage with nature and the outdoors, but you will also be supporting the Friends’ ongoing education and environmental stewardship initiatives in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

If the system isn’t working for you, send a note to birding@friendsoffichcreek.org

Photo: Wood Ducks – taken at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in November 2024 during a Fall Birding outing.

Fall Birding - Saturdays (12-week course)
2025-09-06 09:00 - 12:00
Friends of Fish Creek Fall Birding Course – Sept 06 to Nov 23, 2025 (12 weeks)

Join the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society this Fall for our ever-popular Birding Course! We will visit different parks throughout the City of Calgary, as we try to capture a great view of birds that live here year-round or migrate through during the Fall months. Our exceptional team of skilled volunteer leaders will guide the way, helping to find and identify the many bird species we hope you will see, and sharing their wealth of knowledge with you!

This 12-week course runs every day of the week, except Fridays, with each session being approximately three hours.

The course is offered at a discounted rate to Friends of Fish Creek members:

– Members – $60/person

– Non-Members – $100/person

If you would like to renew your membership or become a member, please do so through our website before registering for this course. Our memberships are based on a calendar year.

When you register, you will be able to select your preferred day of the week; however, please note that there is a limited number of tickets available for each day. If there are no tickets available for your preferred day, please either register for an alternate day or join our waitlist by selecting the ticket option “My preferred day is sold out” (after which you’ll be given the opportunity to indicate your preferred day later in the registration process). If you are on the waitlist and we have a space for you, we will be in touch.

If you would like to sign up for an additional day each week, you can do so by registering for your preferred day and then also registering for the “Additional Day” ticket (i.e., you will purchase one regular ticket and one add-on). You will be able to indicate your preferred additional day later in the registration process.

You can register multiple people at once; however, please ensure you have their full names, email addresses, and emergency contact information readily available, as you will be required to enter this information as part of the registration process

We appreciate your interest and support. By taking part in this course, not only will you experience a unique opportunity to engage with nature and the outdoors, but you will also be supporting the Friends’ ongoing education and environmental stewardship initiatives in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

If the system isn’t working for you, send a note to birding@friendsoffichcreek.org

Photo: Wood Ducks – taken at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in November 2024 during a Fall Birding outing.

Fall Birding - Sunday Mornings (12-week course)
2025-09-07 09:00 - 12:00
Friends of Fish Creek Fall Birding Course – Sept 07 to Nov 23, 2025 (12 weeks)

Join the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society this Fall for our ever-popular Birding Course! We will visit different parks throughout the City of Calgary, as we try to capture a great view of birds that live here year-round or migrate through during the Fall months. Our exceptional team of skilled volunteer leaders will guide the way, helping to find and identify the many bird species we hope you will see, and sharing their wealth of knowledge with you!

This 12-week course runs every day of the week, except Fridays, with each session being approximately three hours.

The course is offered at a discounted rate to Friends of Fish Creek members:

– Members – $60/person

– Non-Members – $100/person

If you would like to renew your membership or become a member, please do so through our website before registering for this course. Our memberships are based on a calendar year.

When you register, you will be able to select your preferred day of the week; however, please note that there is a limited number of tickets available for each day. If there are no tickets available for your preferred day, please either register for an alternate day or join our waitlist by selecting the ticket option “My preferred day is sold out” (after which you’ll be given the opportunity to indicate your preferred day later in the registration process). If you are on the waitlist and we have a space for you, we will be in touch.

If you would like to sign up for an additional day each week, you can do so by registering for your preferred day and then also registering for the “Additional Day” ticket (i.e., you will purchase one regular ticket and one add-on). You will be able to indicate your preferred additional day later in the registration process.

You can register multiple people at once; however, please ensure you have their full names, email addresses, and emergency contact information readily available, as you will be required to enter this information as part of the registration process

We appreciate your interest and support. By taking part in this course, not only will you experience a unique opportunity to engage with nature and the outdoors, but you will also be supporting the Friends’ ongoing education and environmental stewardship initiatives in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

If the system isn’t working for you, send a note to birding@friendsoffichcreek.org

Photo: Wood Ducks – taken at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in November 2024 during a Fall Birding outing.

Fall Birding - Sunday Afternoons (12-week course)
2025-09-07 13:15 - 16:00

Speaker Series: Thesium arvense, a new weed of concern
2025-09-11 19:00 - 20:30
Join Mary Ann McLean, Professor at St. Mary’s University, to learn about a new weed of concern, Thesium arvense.

Click to purchase tickets on Eventbrite

Walking Tour: Coexisting with Urban Coyotes
2025-09-16 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-09-20 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-07 14:00 - 15:00
Join us for an insightful walking tour to learn about urban coyotes, their role in our ecosystem, and how we can peacefully coexist with them.

Dates:

September 16 at 2:00 pm

September 20 at 4:00 pm

October 7 at 2:00 pm

Capacity:

Up to 25 participants

Star Night: featuring astronomy viewing, presentations inside, partner organization booths, and kids activities.
2025-10-04 19:00 - 22:00 | Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre, 15931 Woodpath Rd SW, Calgary, T2W 4Z8
Join the Friends of Fish Creek and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) for our annual Star Night Event. Gaze at the sky through telescopes provided by RASC and get a closer look at Saturn, the Moon, star clusters, nebulae, and much more! The fun and discovery is on, “cloudy or clear!”

Ready to head inside? There’s lots to see there too! We’ll have slide shows, astronomy, Fish Creek, and conservation displays for all ages. Bring your questions about planets, space probes, stars and comets, using telescopes, plus whatever you want to know about the Park. Our astronomy members and Friends staff have lots of useful information they’d love to share with you.

Speaker Series: The Wonderous World of Arachnids (Zoom Presentation)
2025-10-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Online, via Zoom, Canada
Presented by Robert Holmberg, Ph.D., Science Outreach – Athabasca, Athabasca University

After the insects, the arachnids are the second most diverse group of animals in the world. Dr. Holmberg will cover the biology, diversity, and importance of the 7 groups of arachnids that occur in Canada. During this presentation, you can learn about the Canadian distribution of black widow spiders, scorpions, and solifugids; mites that live on us and in our homes; harvestmen that overwinter, in the thousands, in caves; and “igloos” built by pseudoscorpions.

Click to purchase tickets on Eventbrite

Fish Creek Soundwalks with Chad Eastman
2025-11-16 14:00 - 15:30 | Bebo Grove Day Use Area Parking Lot
In partnership with New Works, be part of this two-year soundwalk residency program!

Our first selected artist for this residency program is artist-educator Chad Eastman, who will be in-residence at Fish Creek Park for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 New Works Calgary seasons. We were impressed with Chad’s 2024-2025 seasonal soundwalk series at Fish Creek Park, wherein he explored the changing characteristics of acoustic seasonality amidst climate change.

We’re thrilled to support Chad’s ongoing research into acoustic ecology and place-based education. We’re excited to partner with the Friends of Fish Creek Park to offer Chad a research-creation residency, as well as a supported 8-walk series!

From New Works:

Chad Eastman (He/Him) is an artist, outdoor educator, and wilderness guide located in Moh’kinsstis. He is interested in aesthetic approaches to environmental education and employs soundwalking as a research methodology. Chad is passionate about thinking and moving with land to explore the boundaries of mind and body.

Through a series of serendipitous events, I was approached by New Works last year with an opportunity to lead a soundwalk. I took the chance and – ran – to design a mini-series of seasonal soundwalks in Fish Creek Provincial Park, exploring how the soundscape of the park has been altered by Anthropocene impacts such as human-induced climate change and toxic colonialism. Through the continued generosity and support of New Works, I have been granted another opportunity to listen more closely to the Fish Creek soundscape, and share that experience with the public. For this series, I will be leading 8 soundwalks which guide participants through embodied experiences of soundwalking as transformative for self, society, and spirit. Themes include soundwalking as: emotional regulation and mindfulness practice, acts of political resistance, and religious or spiritual experience. For each theme we will investigate what role listening and walking play separately and together, as the two collaborating elements of soundwalking. The Anthropocene impacts already present in Fish Creek form the context for the themes of this series: How does listening help us regulate the climate? Where does soundwalking fall in the history and present of walking as resistance? What role does spirituality have in (acoustic) conservation? For those more interested in listening than talking, there will be two soundwalks in which participants will be invited to fully immerse themselves in the listening/walking experience, resisting the temptation to fill the soundscape with conversation, for the entire duration of the walk. Think of it as a mini silent/moving meditation. I hope you will join me for a walk in the coming months. – Chad Eastman

Guided soundwalks will take place November 2025 through June 2026, on the third Sunday of each month. The locations within Fish Creek Park will change, but each walk will be in the park. Unlike previous seasons, the time of each walk may vary through this series. We’re looking forward to some special offerings from Chad at different times of day! We’ll update times and locations as we confirm them.

Fish Creek Speaker Series - Plant rescue and Species Diversity
2025-11-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre, 15931 Woodpath Rd SW, Calgary, AB, T2W 4Z8, Canada
Join Emma Stroud and Victoria Bohm to learn about how plant rescue builds species diversity and organizational capacity.
